The Frugalicious Mantra

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Angono Lakeside Eco Park's 50-peso Boat Ride

In the past, this part of Angono was fondly called Carebe. For some reason unknown, they called it after the word"Piranha" in Spanish or maybe it just means "lakeside" in Tagalog. But after much improvement shared hand in hand, by the public and private sectors, we now have the Angono Lakeside Eco Park and their boat rides!

I have more than a couple trips under my belt in "carebe", since my family and I have been frequenting the place since childhood. We went there either to watch the sunrise and sunset. In this blog, I'd share a different side of the park not commonly enjoyed by many, which is the boat ride.

For 50-peso per head, in a group of four, my family and I boarded the boat of Manong Bekong. He's a seasoned boat driver and goes as far as Marikina, Paranaque and Pasig for commuters smart enough to avoid the roadside traffic jam.

In the first leg of our trip, he showed us the kangkong farm where the residents of Angono, Binangonan, Taytay and Cainta would harvest this Pinoy food staple. One can not help but wonder how can one thing arrive at our table, without us thinking where it actually came from, or how it came to be.

Also, we experienced buying fish from the local fishermen, while still on board! It was pretty exciting seeing the freshest of fish, some still jumping, fresh out of their nets and scooped into our feet!

I can just imagine a little child giggling in delight if he saw where exactly fishes came from besides the supermarket. We were really thankful to the nice group of fishermen who were having lunch at the time but accommodated us nevertheless.

Near the end of our trip, which was super fun through and through, specially for someone who hasn't been in a boat for years, Manong Bekong also took us to see a floating house.

It was quite big and inviting, specially for someone trying to find refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. The only question burning in our minds at the time, which we of course, being the "Brady Bunch" did not fail to ask was, where the toilet are. Nuff said! It was still a sight to behold.

Just in case you are wondering where to find the park, you can check out their unofficial Facebook Page here:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angono-Lake-Side-Wawa/199919000041637

And as a disclaimer, I just want to inform you that we haggled with the boat driver, so this 50-peso per head ride is not set. You must talk to them and make sure that both parties are happy about the set price. If you are fair or even generous enough, they will really get out of your way to show you and your party a good time.

It was an idyllic ride and time well spent enough to be cherished for years to come. Just imagine, that with just one Starbucks Mocha Frapuccino Mint Venti, you and your whole family can enjoy this more or less, 20-minute boat ride! What do you know! Think about another instagrammable moment!

This is the Frugalicious Pinay wishing you happiness and money smarts in your life choices! I start blogging again this July! Remember;